Container with automatic erecting corners



June 1966 c. J. MUELLER ETAL- 3,

CONTAINER WITH AUTOMATIC ERECTING CORNERS Filed Feb. 21, 1964 5Sheets-Sheet 1 /7 INVENTORS June 28, 1966 c. J. MUELLER ETAL 3,258,191

CONTAINER WITH AUTOMATIC ERECTING CORNERS Filed Feb. 21, 1964 5Sheets-Sheet 2 6 INVENTOR!) 37M War! June 28, 1966 c. J. MUELLER ETAL3,258,191

CONTAINER WITH AUTOMATIC ERECTING CORNERS Filed Feb. 21, 1964 UnitedStates Patent 3,258,191 CONTAINER WITH AUTQMATIC ERECTIN G CORNERSCharles J. Mueller, Sun Prairie, and Robert C. Hosek, Madison, Wis.,assignors, by mesne assignments, to Packaging Corporation of America, acorporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 346,483 4 Claims.(Cl. 229-31) This application relates to paperboard containers or thelike, and more particularly to such containers formed of paperboardstock and which may be readily erected from a fiat condition into anassembled container.

In the prior art, containers or boxes have been known which areadaptable to be partially assembled into a flat condition and latererected into an assembled condition at the location where the containeris to be used. Such boxes are therefore adaptable to be shipped in flatform reducing shipping space and expense to a minimum. In addition,boxes which are preformed but not fully assembled eliminate a great dealof time and effort heretofore required in assembling conventional boxes,since they can be readily erected and assembled at the time of usewithout the necessity of gluing or stapling together flaps or otherportions of the box blank.

The present invention contemplates a novel form of such a box in whichthe corners of the container are provided with diagonal scoring andpreglued portions to permit easy assembly of the box at the time of useand to provide stronger corner assemblies which are capable ofwithstanding heavy loads when loaded boxes are arranged in stackedrelation.

The box of the present invention is also employed with means forautomatically holding the walls of the container in assembled relationafter the container has been erected. Each of the corners is providedwith a heavy triangular protective pad which, in addition tostrengthening the container to permit stacking and storing large numbersthereof on top of each other, also affords some protection to thecontents of the box.

The present invention also contemplates the formation of such acontainer from a one-piece blank in which the wasted stock material informing the blank is reduced to a minimum.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide aself-erecting container adapted to be shipped and stored in flat formand easily erected into assembled condition without the necessity ofapplying adhesive to any portion thereof at the time of erection.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such acontainer in which means are provided for independently holding the samein assembled condition.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such acontainer in which each of the corners is provided with at least threethicknesses of paperboard stock, thereby to strengthen the corners.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such acontainer in which each of the corners is provided with relatively heavyprotective pads on the interior thereof to protect the contents of thecontainer.

These and other objects of the present invention will be more fullyunderstood by an examination of this specification and the accompanyingclaims and drawings.

In one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a generallyrectangular container having two side walls, two ends walls and a bottomwall formed from a single piece of fiat stock material. A triangularsection interposed between each of the side walls and each of the endwalls is folded such as to provide a triangular pad on the interior ofthe container and a triple thickness of stock material adjacent each ofthe corners with each of Patented June 28, 1966 ice the side walls isprovided with a plurality of tabs cooperating in interlockingrelationship with corresponding apertures disposed in the bottom wall ofthe container adjacent the side walls thereof.

In another embodiment of the present invention an end wall is providedwith a flap adapted to receive the triangular pad in snapping engagementtherewith, and which in turn is adapted to snap behind a shoulderprovided on a side wall.

Reference will now be made particularly to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a container embodying thepresent invention may be formed;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a first step in assembling a containerfrom the blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an intermediate step for assemblinga container from the blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the container fully assembledfrom the blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a modified blank from which a furtherembodiment of the present invention may be formed;

FIG. 7 is a partial illustration of a first step in assembling acontainer from the blank of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7, illustrating a second step in assembling acontainer from the blank of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view showing a third step in assemblinga container from the blank of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is similar to FIG. 9, illustrating a fourth step in assembling acontainer from the blank of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 11 is similar to FIG. 10, illustrating a corner of a containerwhich has been fully assembled from the blank of FIG. 6.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a blank 9 formed offoldable sheet material such as fiberboard or the like, which is dividedinto a plurality of panels and flaps by numerous score or crease linesillustrated in light dashed lines. The central portion of the blankforms a bottom panel 10 defined by fold lines 11, 13, and 17. To oneside of the panel 10 is disposed a side panel 12 which is connectedthereto by the fold line 11. On the opposite side of the panel 10 asecond side panel 14 is disposed, connected to the panel 10 by the foldline 13. An end panel 16 is disposed adjacent the panel 10 between theside panels 12 and 14, and is connected to the panel 10 by the fold line15. A second end panel 18 is disposed opposite the end panel 16, and isconnected to the panel 10 by the fold line 17.

Intermediate the side panel 14 and the end panel 16, and adjacent thepanel 10, a square corner panel 22 is disposed, connected to the endpanel 16 by a fold line 24 and to the side panel 14 by a fold line 26.Another square corner panel 28 is disposed between the side panel 14 andthe end panel 18, connected to the side panel 14 by a fold line 30 andto the end panel 18 by a foldline 32.

A similar square corner panel 34 is disposed between the side panel 12and the end panel 16, and is connected to the side panel 12 by a foldline 36 and to the end panel 16 by a fold line 38. Similarly, a fourthsquare corner panel 4t) is disposed between the side panel 12 and theend panel 18, and is connected to the side panel 12 by a fold line 41and to the end panel 18 by a fold line 43. Each of the corner panels 22,28, 34 and is provided with a diagonal fold line 42 extending from acorner of the bottom panel 10 diagonally across the corner panel to itsoutside corner.

A flap 44 is disposed adjacent the outer edge of the side panel 12 andconnected thereto by a fold line 46. A corresponding flap 48 is disposedadjacent the outside edge of the side panel 14 and connected thereto bya fold line 50. The flap 44 is provided with a fold line 52 spaced fromthe fold line 46 by distance approximately equal to a double thicknessof the sheet material of which the blank 9 is formed, and acorresponding fold line 54 is disposed on the flap 48 separated from thefold line 56 by a distance approximately equal to twice the thickness ofthe sheet material.

A plurality of rectangular apertures 56 are disposed in the bottom panel10 at spaced locations adjacent to the fold line 11, and a plurality oftabs 58 are disposed on the outside edge of the flap 44 and correspondsubstantially in length with the length of the apertures 56, andcorrespond substantially in width to the thickness of the sheetmaterial. The width of the apertures 56 also corresponds substantiallyto the thickness of the sheet mate rial of which the blank 9 is formed.

Similarly, a plurality of apertures 60 are disposed in the bottom panel10 adjacent the fold line 13 separating it from the side wall 14, and aplurality of tabs 62 are provided on the outside edge of the flap 48 forcooperation with apertures 60.

After the blank 9 illustrated in FIG. 1 has been cut from a sheet offlat stock material, the first step in forming the container therefromis the application of glue to preselected areas of the blank, indicatedby stippling in FIG. 1, whereby certain portions of panels of the blank9 may be secured together. Each of the corner panels 22, 28, 34 and 40is separated into two triangular areas by the diagonal fold lines 42.One of each pair of triangular areas is adjacent one of the end panels16 and 18, connected thereto by one of the fold lines 24, 32, 38, and43, and the other is adjacent one of the side panels 12 and 14,connected thereto by one of the fold lines 26, 38 36, and 41.

The corner panels 22, 28, 34 and 40, together with their attached endpanels 16 and 18, are then folded up about the fold lines 15, 26, and36, and 17, 30, and 41, respectively, so that the glued surfaces of thecorner panels and the side panels engage each other. It will beappreciated that the triangular areas of the side panels and cornerpanels to which glue has been applied will adhere firmly together andmaintain the container in the relation illustrated in FIG. 2. In thiscondition the con-tainer is relatively flat and may be shipped andstored in this condition with very little wasted space.

When the container is to be used, and it is desired to erect the sameinto an assembled condition, the end panels 16 and 18 of the containerare folded up about the fold lines and 17. Simultaneously the diagonalfold lines 42 are folded inwardly and the fold lines 24, 32, 38, and 43are folded outwardly to conform the container to the arrangementillustrated in FIG. 3. In this condition it will be appreciated thateach of the corner panels 22, 28, 34, and is folded inwardly about itsdiagonal .f-old line 42 to form a protective triangular pad having adouble thickness of sheet material to strengthen the corners of theassembled container and also to protect the contents within thecontainer. It will be noted that each pad is disposed adjacent theinterior surfaces of side panels 12 and 14.

The corner panels are maintained in the folded condition illustrated inFIG. 3, by folding the flaps 44 and 48 inwardly and downwardly andcausing the tabs 58 and 62 to engage in their corresponding apertures 56and 66, respectively. The resulting container is illustrated in FIG. 4and has superior stacking characteristics due to its heavily reinforcedcorners, each of which is formed of four thicknesses of sheet material.In addition, the flaps 44 and 48 not only reinforce the strength of thecontainer but also operate to maintain the corners in erected condition.

If desired, a pair of apertures 63 and 64 may be provided in each of theflaps 44 and 48 between the score lines 46 and 52 and the score linesand 54, respectively. A

4 handle (not shown) formed of wire or the like may engage the containerin holding relation and extend through the apertures 63 and 64 toprovide a convenient method of carrying the container with one hand.

In FIG. 5, an alternative embodiment 65 of the present invention isillustrated in which a pair of end flaps 68 and 70 are provided adjacentthe end panels 16 and 18 of the blank 9, which end flaps are adapted tooverlie the contents of the container as illustrated in FIG. 5. One ofthe side flaps 48 is modified by eliminating the tabs 62, and is adaptedto overlie the inwardly extending end ilaps 68 and 70 and cover theotherwise open upper end of the box. The end flaps 68 and 70 aresupported directly by the top surface of the folded corner panels, andthe side flap 48' is indirectly supported thereby.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is illustrated a modified blank 71 formedof foldable sheet material from which an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention may be formed, in the shape of a garment box which hasa telescoping cover formed integrally with a portion of the bottomsection or tray thereof.

The central portion of the blank forms a bottom panel 72, defined byfold lines 74, 76, 78, and 80. A pair of side panels 82 and 84 of thecontainer portion are connected to the bottom panel 72 by the fold lines74 and 78, respectively, and a pair of end panels 86 and 88 areconnected to the bottom panel 72 by the fold lines 76 and 80.

The cover is foldably connected to the end panel 86 and comprises a toppanel 90 connected to the end panel 86 by a fold line 92. A pair of sidepanels 94 and 96 are foldably connected to the top panel 90 by foldlines 98 and 100, respectively, and an end panel 102 is foldablyconnected to the top panel 90 by a fold line 104 opposite the positionof the end panel 86.

At each corner of the bottom panel, a corner panel 106a, b, c, or d isdisposed, separated from its respective side and end panels by foldlines 108a, b, c, or d and 110a, b, c, or d, respectively. Each cornerpanel is divided into two triangular portions by a fold line 112a, b, c,or d, just as described with reference to FIG. 1. The corner panels 106aand 106d are different from those of the blank of FIG. 1, however, aswill presently be described. The corner panels 1tl6b and 1060 aresevered from the side panels 94 and 96 of the cover portion by slit-s orcut scores 107 and 109.

A flap 114 is foldably connected to the end panel 88 by a pair of spacedparallel fold lines 116 and 118 and is provided with a pair of foldlines 120 and 122, proceeding obliquely from the ends of the fold line118 and separating the flap 114 into a central portion and twotriangular end portions. Each of the triangular portions of the fiap 114is provided with a rounded edge 124 which forms a protuberance adaptedto lock its respective triangular portion in place when the container iserected.

The triangular portion of each corner panel 106a and 106d, which isadjacent the side panels 82 and 84, respectively, is provided with anedge 125 extending at an acute angle with respect to the fold line 108::or 108d and is provided at a location adjacent the fold line with arounded protuberance 126. The angle of the edge 125 bears a definiterelation to the angle of the fold lines 120 and 122 of the flap 114, aswill be seen.

The top panel 90 is provided with corner panels 128 disposed between theend panel 102 and the side panels 94 and 96, the panels 128corresponding in shape to the corner panels 106a and 106d. They areconnected to the side panels 94 and 96 by fold lines 127 and to the endpanel 102 by fold lines 129. A flap 130 is foldably connected to the endpanel 102 by fold lines 132 and 134 and has a pair of angularlyextending fold lines 136 and 138 corresponding to fold lines 120-122 ofthe flap 114. The shape of the flap 130 in other respects corresponds tothat of the flap 114.

Each of the side panels 82, 84, 94 and 96 has a slit 131 disposedparallel to the fold lines 1080, 108d and 127 and adjacent thereto forthe purpose of securing the protuberant edges 124 of the triangularportions of the flaps 114 and 130 when the container is erected, as willbe more fully described. The slits 131 are spaced from the fold lines74, 78, 98 and 100, respectively, by such a distance as to permit theprotuberances 124 to engage the slits 131 during erection of thecontainer, in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter.

The first step in forming a container from the blank 71 of FIG. 6 is theapplication of glue to the stippled areas of the blank, after which theside panels 82, 84, 94 and 96, together with the corner panels 106a-106dand 128 are folded about the fold lines 74, 78, 98, 100, 110a, b, c andd, and 129 over onto the bottom panel 72, the top panel 90 and the endpanels 88, 86 and 102. One corner of the container after this step isillustrated in FIG. 7. Then the flaps 114 and 130 are folded over theend panels 88 and 102, respectively, as partially illustrated in FIG. 8.The stippled or glued areas of the blank 71 are thus brought intocontact with each other and operate to rigidly hold these parts of thecontainer together. In this condition, the container may be shipped andstored with little wasted space.

Erection of the container formed from the blank 71 is generally similarto that of the blank 9 of FIG. 1 which has already been described, butdiffers in the manner in which the corner assemblies are held in erectedcondition. In FIG. 9 a corner of the blank 71 is illustrated as beingpartially erected, and the triangular end portion of the flap 114 isfolded upwardly about the fold line 120 to permit the triangular cornerpad formed from the corner panel 106a to come into contact with the endpanel 88. As it does so, however, the protuberance 126 snaps under theedge defined by the fold line 120, as illustrated in FIG. 10. Thetriangular portion of the flap 114 is thereafter folded downwardly aboutthe fold line 120, locking the triangular corner pad into position, andthe protuberance snaps into place behind the slit 131 adjacent theinterior surface of the corner pad, as illustrated in FIG. 11. Thematerial of the blank 71 lying between the slit 131 and the fold line108a is crushed slightly by the force transmitted to it by theprotuberance 124 so that the protuberance 124 remains securely in placebehind the slit 131 and, in turn, maintains the corner pad securely inplace also.

It is evident that the angles of the edge 125 of the corner panel 106aand of the fold line 120 of the flap 114 are selected so that the edge125 just passes under the edge defined by the fold line 120 when thecorner assumes the condition illustrated in FIG. 10. It is also evidentthat the position of the slit 131 must be such as to permit theprotuberance 124 to engage it to maintain the triangular portion of theflap 114 in position. In an alternative construction, the slit 131 maybe eliminated altogether and the areas engaged by the protuberances 124precrushed at the time the blank 71 is formed to provide a slight recessin the interior surface of the side panel into which the protuberances124 may snap.

After the formation of the bottom section of the container by erectionof the corner panels 106a and 1060! in the manner described above anderection of the corner panels 10617 and 1060 in the manner described inconnection with the blank 9 of FIG. 1, the cover section is formed byerection of the corner panel 128 in the identical manner as the cornerpanels 106a and 106d. The erection of the container is then completeand, after being filled, the cover may be swung about the fold line 92into a position with the top panel 90 covering the bottom panel 72 andwith the end and side panels 94, 96 and 102 in telesccoping engagementwith the end and side panels 82, 84 and 88, respectively.

It will be appreciated from the above description that containerconstructed in accordance with the present invention are quickly andeasily erected from collapsed form into containers which are strong andrigid, and which exhibit a marked degree of resistance to collapse ordisassembly by forces arising from the contents of the containers orfrom a plurality of such containers in stacked arrangement.

From the foregoing, the present invention has been described in suchterms as to enable anyone skilled in the art, by applying currentknowledge, to adapt the same for use under varying conditions Withoutdeparting from the essential items of novelty involved, which areintended to be defined and secured by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A container formed of corrugated sheet fiber material comprising abottom-forming panel, a pair of sideforming panels, a pair ofend-forming panels, said side and end panels being attached to saidbottom by fold lines, a plurality of corner panels each attached to oneend of a side panel and one end of an end panel by fold lines and havingone corner in common With a corner of said bottom panel, a pair of endflaps attached to the free ends of said end panels by fold lines, saidend flaps being folded on said fold lines over said end panels andsecured thereto, each of said corner panels being divided into first andsecond portions by a fold line extending diagonally from the corner ofsaid corner panel in common with said bottom panel, said first portionof said corner panel being adjacent said end panel and adapted to befolded over said end panel and secured thereto, said end flaps havingtriangular segments foldable about a fold line having one end disposedon an edge of said end flap near said end panel, said second portion ofsaid corner panel having a protuberance adapted to snap under said endflap while the same is folded about said fold line to assume a positionintermediate said end flap and said end panel, said side panels eachhaving a slit disposed near each fold line separating said side panelsfrom said corner panels, the fiber material of said side panel lyingbetween said slit and said fold line being crushed to form an offsetportion of said side panel defined on one side by said slit, saidsegment having a projection adapted to snap behind said slit into saidoffset portion of said side panel.

2. A blank of corrugated sheet fiber material for use in forming acontainer, said blank comprising a bottomforming first panel, a pair ofside-forming panels foldably connected to opposite sides of said firstpanel, a pair of end-forming panels foldably connected to opposite sidesof said first panel intermediate said side-forming panels, a

r corner-forming panel foldably interconnecting an end of oneside-forming panel to an end of one end-forming panel, saidcorner-forming panel having a fold line dividing said corner-formingpanel into a first triangular panel adjacent said end-forming panel anda second triangular panel adjacent said side-forming panel, aflap-forming panel connected by a fold line to an edge of said oneend-forming panel and adapted to fold over one said one end-formingpanel and over said corner-forming panel when said container is set up,said flap-forming panel having a triangular segment foldable about afold line having one end disposed on an edge of said flap-forming panelnear said one end-forming panel, said first triangular panel having aprotuberance adapted to snap under said flap-forming panel when the sameis folded about said fold line to assume a position intermediate saidflap-forming panel and said one end-forming panel, said one sideformingpanel having a slit disposed near the fold line separating saidside-forming panel from said cornerforming panel, the fiber material ofsaid side-forming panel lying between said slit and said fold line beingcrushed to form an offset portion of said side-forming panel defined onone side by said slit, said triangular segment having a projectionadapted to snap behind said slit into said offset portion of saidside-forming panel.

3. In a container formed of sheet fiber material, a corner constructioncomprising a corner panel connected to a pair of contiguous side panelsof said container by fold lines, said corner panel being divided intofirst and second portions by a first fold line extending from the bottomof said two sides such that the fold lines separating said corner panelfrom said side panels, respectively, are brought into close parallelrelation when said first and second portions of said corner panel arefolded about said first fold line, one of said side panels having a flapmember secured to the inside surface thereof, said flap rnemher beingdivided into two portions by a second fold line extending diagonallyfrom an upper corner of said flap member at a particular angle so thatthe second fold line is brought into close parallel relationship withone of the free edges of said corner panel when said folded corner panelis folded into close parallel relation with said one side wall, saidfree edge having a protuberance adapted to snap behind said flap memberto assume a position intermediate said flap member and said one sidepanel when said container is set up.

4. In a blank formed of corrugated sheet fiber material for use informing a container, the combination comprising a corner-forming panelconnected to a pair of contiguous side-forming panels by fold lines,said cornerforming panel being divided into first and second portions bya first fold line extending from a common corner of said twoside-forming panels such that the fold lines separating saidcorner-forming panel from said side-forming panels, respectively, arebrought into close parallel relation when said first and second portionsof said cornerforming panels are folded about said first fold line, oneof said side-forming panels having a flap member foldably connectedthereto and adapted to be secured to one surface thereof, said flapmember being divided into a central portion and a corner portion by aflap fold line extending diagonally from a corner common to said flapmember and said one side-forming panel at a particular angle so that theflap fold line is brought into close parallel relationship with one ofthe free edges of said cornerforming panel when said corner-formingpanel is folded into close parallel relation with said one side-formingpanel, said free edge having a protuberance adapted to snap behind saidflap member to assume a position intermediate said fiap member and saidone side-forming panel when said blank is set up.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 98,344 2/1898Ingrey 229--31 1,865,635 7/1932 Klein 229--31 1,886,879 11/1932 Gross22931 X 1,997,523 4/1935 Katz.

2,115,782 5/1938 Mulnix 22931 2,227,383 12/ 1940 Snyder 229-31 2,414,8541/ 1947 Conescu 229--31 2,637,483 5/1953 Shapiro 22931 2,777,628 1/1957Conescu 229-31 3,116,003 12/ 1963 Warner 22933 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR,Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner.

D. T. MOOREHEAD, Assistant Examiner.

2. A BLANK OF CORRUGATED SHEET FIBER MATERIAL FOR USE IN FORMING ACONTAINER, SAID BLANK COMPRISING A BOTTOMFORMING FIRST PANEL, A PAIR OFSIDE-FORMING PANELS FOLDABLE CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FIRSTPANELS, A PAIR OF END-FORMING PANELS FOLDABLY CONNECTED TO OPPOSITESIDES OF SAID FIRST PANEL INTERMEDIATE SAID SIDE-FORMING PANELS, ACORNER-FORMING PANEL FOLDABLY INTERCONNECTING AN END OF ONE SIDE-FORMINGPANEL TO AN END OF ONE END-FORMING PANEL, SAID CORNER-FORMING PANELHAVING A FOLD LINE DIVIDING SAID CORNER-FORMING PANEL INTO A FIRSTTRIANGULAR PANEL ADJACENT SAID END-FORMING PANEL AND A SECOND TRIANGUALRPANEL ADJACENT SAID SIDE-FORMING PANEL, A FLAP-FORMING PANEL CONNECTEDBY A FOLD LINE TO AN EDGE OF SAID ONE END-FORMING PANEL AND ADAPTED TOFOLD OVER ONE SAID ONE END-FORMING PANEL AND OVER SAID CORNER-FORMINGPANEL WHEN SAID CONTAINER IS SET UP, SAID FLAP-FORMING PANEL HAVING ATRIANGULAR SEGMENT FOLDABLE ABOUT A FOLD LINE HAVING ONE END DISPOSED ONAN EDGE OF SAID FLAP-FORMING PANEL NEAR SAID ONE END-FORMING PANEL, SAIDFIRST TRIANGULAR PANEL HAVING A PROTUBERANCE ADAPTED TO SNAP UNDER SAIDFLAP-FORMING PANEL WHEN THE SAME IS FOLDED ABOUT SAID FOLD LINE TOASSUME A POSITION INTERMEDIATE SAID FLAP-FORMING PANEL AND SAID ONEEND-FORMING PANEL, SAID ONE SIDEFORMING PANEL HAVING A SLIT DISPOSEDNEAR THE FOLD LINE SEPARATING SAID SIDE-FORMING PANEL FROM SAIDCORNERFORMING PANEL, THE FIBER MATERIAL OF SAID SIDE-FORMING PANEL LYINGBETWEEN SAID SLIT AND FOLD LINE BEING CRUSHED TO FORM AN OFFSET PORTIONOF SAID SIDE-FORMING PANEL DEFINED ON ONE SIDE BY SAID SLIT, SAIDTRIANGULAR SEGMENT HAVING A PROJECTION ADAPTED TO SNAP BEHIND SAID SLITINTO SAID OFFSET PORTION OF SAID SIDE-FORMING PANEL.